What is RepRap? The RepRap project is an initiative founded in 2005 by Dr. Adrian Bowyer, a Senior Lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. The idea was to develop a 3D printer that can print most (and eventually, all) of its own components. The name RepRap is short for "replicating rapid prototyper". It has evolved considerably since 2005, with thousands of printers built by hobbists and engineers. The RepRap project was the impetus for the open-source 3D printer revolution.
RepRap might be considered one of those "disruptive technologies", a technology that substantially changes an established paradigm. The replicator of tomorrow may be a direct descendant of this RepRap printer. RepRap has been called the invention that will bring down global capitalism, start a second industrial revolution and save the environment.
There is also a strong and vibrant community of RepRap enthusiasts, well represented by RepRap.org, that encourages experimentation and sharing. This printer is a good example of a massively collaborative project, thousands of individuals, spread across the globe, sharing improvements in hardware and software.
This is an "Open Source" project. Open source is a philosophy or pragmatic methodology that encourages free redistribution and access to an end product's design, source code and implementation details. As a result, all of the designs produced by the RepRap project are released under a free software license, in this case theGNU General Public License.
RepRap uses a variation of fused deposition modeling(FDM), an additive manufacturing technique. The reprap project calls it's method Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) to avoid trademark issues around the "fused deposition modeling" term.
As of the date of our build (February 2012), the RepRap project has released four official models of 3D printing machines: The "Darwin" model, was released in March 2007. The "Mendel" model, was released in October 2009. "Prusa Mendel" and "Huxley" were both released in 2010. Developers have named each after famous biologists, as "the point of RepRap is replication and evolution"
Due to the self-replicating ability of the machine, the developers envision the possibility to cheaply distribute RepRap units to people and communities, enabling them to create (or download from the Internet) complex products without the need for expensive industrial infrastructure. They intend for the RepRap to demonstrate evolution in this process as well as for it to increase in number exponentially. (Wikipedia)
How does this relate to Robotics?
This project introduces and reinforces robotics skills and concepts. A RepRap printer is a robot. A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Most of the subsystems involved in this project involve robotic concepts and components, including, but not limited to:
Electrical wiring
Stepper motors
Microprocessors
Motor controllers
Electronic circuits
Sensors
Feedback mechanisms
Firmware
Computer interfacing
Educational value of the RepRap project STEM standards applicable to this project
Project based education
ISTE NETS for Students
Introduction
What is RepRap?
The RepRap project is an initiative founded in 2005 by Dr. Adrian Bowyer, a Senior Lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. The idea was to develop a 3D printer that can print most (and eventually, all) of its own components. The name RepRap is short for "replicating rapid prototyper". It has evolved considerably since 2005, with thousands of printers built by hobbists and engineers. The RepRap project was the impetus for the open-source 3D printer revolution.
RepRap might be considered one of those "disruptive technologies", a technology that substantially changes an established paradigm. The replicator of tomorrow may be a direct descendant of this RepRap printer. RepRap has been called the invention that will bring down global capitalism, start a second industrial revolution and save the environment.
There is also a strong and vibrant community of RepRap enthusiasts, well represented by RepRap.org, that encourages experimentation and sharing. This printer is a good example of a massively collaborative project, thousands of individuals, spread across the globe, sharing improvements in hardware and software.
This is an "Open Source" project. Open source is a philosophy or pragmatic methodology that encourages free redistribution and access to an end product's design, source code and implementation details. As a result, all of the designs produced by the RepRap project are released under a free software license, in this case the GNU General Public License.
RepRap uses a variation of fused deposition modeling(FDM), an additive manufacturing technique. The reprap project calls it's method Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) to avoid trademark issues around the "fused deposition modeling" term.
As of the date of our build (February 2012), the RepRap project has released four official models of 3D printing machines: The "Darwin" model, was released in March 2007. The "Mendel" model, was released in October 2009. "Prusa Mendel" and "Huxley" were both released in 2010. Developers have named each after famous biologists, as "the point of RepRap is replication and evolution"
Due to the self-replicating ability of the machine, the developers envision the possibility to cheaply distribute RepRap units to people and communities, enabling them to create (or download from the Internet) complex products without the need for expensive industrial infrastructure. They intend for the RepRap to demonstrate evolution in this process as well as for it to increase in number exponentially. (Wikipedia)
How does this relate to Robotics?
This project introduces and reinforces robotics skills and concepts. A RepRap printer is a robot. A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Most of the subsystems involved in this project involve robotic concepts and components, including, but not limited to:
Educational value of the RepRap project
STEM standards applicable to this project
Project based education
ISTE NETS for Students